This Day in Baseball History
August 30th

In his first major league at-bat, 18 year-old center fielder Ty Cobb doubles off Jack Chesbro in the first inning of the Tigers' 5-3 victory over the Highlanders at Detroit's Bennett Park. The two-bagger is the first of the 4,189 hits the 'Georgia Peach' will collect during his 24-year Hall of Fame career.

1910

Yankee Tom Hughes pitches 9.1 innings of no-hit ball before giving up a single to Harry Niles. The Indians eventually win the game in the 11th, 5-0.

1912

At Navin Field, Browns' hurler Earl Hamilton no-hits the Tigers, 5-1, becoming the first hurler to accomplish the feat without recording a strikeout. Detroit gets on the scoreboard in the fourth inning thanks to a Ty Cobb walk, a two-base error, and a fielder's choice, ruining the southpaw's bid for a shutout.

1913

With the Phillies ahead 8-6, umpire William Brennan forfeits the game to the Giants in the top of the ninth inning when the Baker Bowl fans sitting in the bleachers continue to distract New York batters by waving their handkerchiefs and straw hats. After National League president Thomas Lynch reverses the decision, giving Philadelphia the victory, the circuit's board of directors orders the game, which will end with the same score, to be completed in NY on October 2 prior to a scheduled doubleheader between the two clubs at the Polo Grounds.

1916

At Fenway Park, Boston's Dutch Leonard no-hits the Browns, 4-0. The 24 year-old Red Sox southpaw will finish the season 18-12, contributing to Boston's World Championship.

1916

In the fastest professional baseball nine-inning game ever played, the visiting Winston-Salem Twins beat the Tourists, 2-1, in an astounding thirty-one minutes. The 200 fans in attendance at Oates Park, unaware of the teams’ agreement to speed up the Class D North Carolina State League contest because both teams had trains to catch, are so upset with the quickness of the game, that Asheville owner L.L. Jenkins assures the angry patrons he will fully refund their price of admission.

1918

At the Polo Grounds, the Giants beat the Dodgers, 1-0, on an unearned run in the bottom in the ninth in a contest that takes only fifty-six minutes to complete. Pete Compton's base hit off Jack Combs plates Larry Doyle, who had singled to lead off the frame and moved to third on Ollie O'Mara's errant throw on a sacrifice bunt.

1928

Tris Speaker, in his final major league at bat, is struck out by Red Sox hurler Red Ruffing. The 40 year-old A's outfielder known as the 'Grey Eagle' ends his 22-year Hall of Fame career with a .345 batting average, sixth best in major league history.

1939

Yankee freshman Atley Donald, who will win 12 straight games to set an AL record for the most consecutive victories thrown by a rookie, throws a recorded pitch at 139 feet per second (94.7 mph) to establish a new record for a fast ball. The velocity of ‘Swampy's’ throw was measured by a speed meter owned by the Indians and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

1950

When Eddie Stanky gets his fourth base-on-balls off Pirates' southpaw Lefty Chambers in a 4-0 victory at Forbes Field, the Giants' leadoff hitter ties a major league record by drawing a walk in seven consecutive plate appearances. The second baseman, known as the 'Brat', will be the league leader in walks (144) and OBP (.460) this season.

1952

Nine-time All-Star infielder Arky Vaughn drowns with a friend when their boat capsized while fishing in a volcanic lake near Eagleville, CA. The former shortstop and third baseman, who compiled a .318 batting average and a .406 on-base percentage playing with the Pirates and Dodgers, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.

1953

During the 19-4 win over the Pirates in the opening game of a twin bill, the Braves stroke a big league record eight home runs, including three from rookie outfielder Jim Pendleton. Boston will add four more homers in the 11-5 nightcap victory to also establish the mark for most round-trippers in a doubleheader.

1960

With two doubles and a single in the 3-2 nightcap victory, Pete Runnels collects a total of ten hits in the Red Sox doubleheader sweep of the Tigers at Fenway Park. The 32 year-old infielder, who will win the American League batting crown with a .320 average, goes 6-for-7 in the opener, which Boston wins in 15 innings, 5-4.

1961

A computer named Casey is used to predict Roger Maris' chances of passing Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs within 154 games. The IBM 1481 believes the Yankee slugger has a 55 percent chance of hitting 61 round trippers to establish a new single season mark for homers.

1965

Casey Stengel, who is recovering from a fractured hip suffered a month ago, officially announces his retirement as the skipper of the Mets, ending a 56-year career in baseball as a player, coach, and manager. At an hour-long press conference held at the Essex House, Casey's N.Y. residence, the "Old Perfessor' shares his disappointment in the team's performance during their first four and a half seasons in the National League and praises his interim replacement, Wes Westrum, the club's former pitching coach.

1966

In his final decision facing the Mets, Sandy Koufax, lasting only two innings, loses to Bob Friend at Shea Stadium, 10-4. The Dodgers' Hall of Fame southpaw compiled a 17-2 record against the lowly expansion team since their inception in 1962.

1972

On the same night in different games, Pete Rose of the Reds and Pittsburgh's Roberto Clemente both tie their respective club records for hits. With his two hits at Three Rivers Stadium, the Pirates outfielder equals Honus Wagner's club mark of 2,970 career hits, and Cincinnati's 'Charlie Hustle' matches Vida Pinson's total when he singles at Riverfront Stadium to collect his 1,881st hit

1972

With the game scoreless in the top of the fifth, Terry Harmon hits his first major league home run in the Phillies' 5-3 loss to Houston at the Astrodome. The Philadelphia infielder, who will hit just four round-trippers in his 10-year career, easily circles the bases for an inside-the-park round-tripper when right fielder Jimmy Wynn fails to make a shoestring catch and the ball rolls along the artificial turf, before bouncing off the fence.

1973

Thanks to Jose Cruz's tenth inning walk-off single off Tom Seaver, the Mets lose to the Cardinals, 1-0. The Busch Stadium defeat drops the eventual National League champs into last place.

1973

Billy Martin orders his pitchers to throw spitballs, in an effort to show the umpiring crew that they don’t enforce the rules in a consistent manner when Indians right-hander Gaylord Perry is on the mound. The Tiger manager, who will be suspended for three days by American League president Joe Cronin, doesn't understand why he is being punished for telling the truth about asking his pitchers to throw illegal pitches.

1975

The Braves replace Clyde King as their manager with scout Connie Ryan, disappointing some of the fan base who had hoped Billy Martin, recently released by the Rangers, would get the nod for the job before he went to the Yankees. The 55 year-old former Atlanta skipper will be retained as a special assistant to Eddie Robinson, the team's executive vice president.

1984

Jim Rice grounds into his 33rd double play of the season, establishing a new major league mark. The Red Sox outfielder breaks the 1954 record set by another Boston flycatcher, Jackie Jensen.

1984

When Montreal brings back Jim Fanning to be the skipper of the Expos,
it marks the second time Bill Virdon is fired during the season to be replaced by the manager he succeeded. During the 1973 campaign, the Pirates ask Danny Murtaugh to return to the dugout to also replace the bespectacled skipper, his replacement two years earlier.

1986

Yankee hurlers Tommy John (43) and Joe Niekro (41) become the first 40+ pitchers since 1933 to start both ends of a doubleheader. John loses 1-0 in the opener, and Niekro pitches five innings of the nightcap for a 3-0 victory over the Mariners.

1986

New York releases Let's Go Mets Go!, a music video that features players, coaches, and fans, along with a cameo appearance by Joe Piscopo. Shelly Palmer, known professionally as Shelton Leigh Palmer, composed and produced the official team’s theme song, that becomes a Gold Record, as well as directing and producing the accompanying music video, which will go triple platinum.

1987

Twins outfielder Kirby Puckett, in a 10-6 victory over the Brewers, collects six hits and drives in four runs. The future Hall of Famer's 6-for-6 day at Milwaukee's County Stadium includes two homers and two doubles.

1998

Defeating the Marlins 7-5, the Reds hand Florida its 89th loss, the most ever for a reigning World Series champ. The Reds lost 88 games in 1991 after its Fall Classic sweep of the A's.

1998

Toms River becomes the first American team since 1993 to win the Little League World Series. Chris Cardone hits home runs in consecutive at-bats, including a game-deciding two-run shot, beating Kashima, Japan,12-9.

1998

The Cardinals honor Jack Buck with a new statue in Buck's likeness. The Hall of Fame broadcaster began announcing Cardinals games in 1954.

1999

At the Astrodome, Edgardo Alfonzo becomes the first player in the Mets' 38-year history to go 6-for-6, scoring six times, and drives in five runs. The second baseman hits three homers, two singles, and a double for a team-record 16 total bases in New York's 17-1 rout of Houston.

2000

With the exception of hitting his first batter and giving up an opposite field leadoff single in the ninth, Pedro Martinez is nearly perfect in Boston's win over the Devil Rays, 8-0. The brawl-filled contest features five fights with eight Devil Rays (five players, the manager, and two coaches) being ejected and Carl Everett needing a single to hit for the cycle but homers for the second time.

2000

Going 3-for-5 in a 9-4 comeback victory over the Blue Jays, Darin Erstad gets his 200th hit of the season. The Angels' outfielder reaches the 200-hit plateau quicker than any other player since Ducky Medwick accomplished the feat in 131 games playing with the Cardinals in 1935.

2000

Earning his 1,600th victory, Braves' manager Bobby Cox passes former Dodger skipper Tommy Lasorda on the career list for most managerial victories. His 5-2 victory over the Reds puts him 14th on the all-time list.

2002

After marathon negotiation sessions to avoid a players' strike just hours away, Bud Selig announces the players union and owners have reached a settlement on a new four-year CBA without the need of a work stoppage. The new agreement, called 'historic' by the commissioner, gives the owners the economic restraints they wanted as the players are assured no teams will be contracted until the 2007 season, with a revenue sharing plan being gradually implemented during the span of the contract.

2004

Chipper Jones and his wife, Sharon, welcome their second child into the world, a 7 pounds, 14 ounces son. The couple names the boy Shea, as a tribute to the New York ballpark where the Braves' third baseman has enjoyed tremendous success against the Mets.

2005

In the long tradition of Bronx Bombers, Alex Rodriguez becomes only the second right-handed batter in Yankees history to hit 40 homers in a season. The New York third baseman joins Joe DiMaggio, who hit 46 homers in 1937, making it the only time ‘Joltin’ Joe’ reached the 40 mark.

2006

In an effort to bolster their starting rotation as they pursue the NL wild card, the Padres obtain home town favorite southpaw David Wells from the Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The 43 year-old 'Boomer', who had played for San Diego in 2004, posted a 2-3 record with a 4.98 ERA during an injury-plagued (knee) campaign in Beantown.

2006

In the Mets' 13-0 rout of Washington at RFK Stadium, Julio Franco drives in five runs, tying a career high, to become the oldest major leaguer in history to accomplish the feat. The 48 year-old first baseman, with three hits, falls a triple short of completing the cycle.

2006

In the first inning of a 7-2 defeat to the A's, Red Sox starter Curt Schilling whiffs Nick Swisher to record his 3000th career strikeout. The Alaskan-born right-hander becomes the 14th pitcher in major league history to reach the milestone.

2006

Adam LaRoche's nine total bases and three RBIs help the Braves beat the Giants at Turner Field, 5-3. The 26 year-old first baseman's offensive output includes three doubles and a triple.

2011

With a 9-4 victory over Colorado at Chase Field, the Diamondbacks extend their home winning streak to a franchise record-tying 11 games. The consecutive string of victories in the desert equals the mark set by the 2000 and 2003 teams.

2014

Trevor Hoffman, who spent parts of 16 seasons of his 18 years in the majors with San Diego, retiring as baseball's all-time saves leader with 601, becomes the ninth person inducted into the Padres' Hall of Fame. The closer, known for his devastating changeup, joins Buzzie Bavasi, Nate Colbert, Jerry Coleman, Tony Gwynn, Randy Jones, Ray Kroc, Dick Williams, and Dave Winfield to be enshrined by the team.